Dispensing container and method of dispensing articles therefrom



Sept. 25, 1928. 1,685,292

' J. B. OHLSON DISPENSING CONTAINER AND METHOD OF- DISPENSING ARTICLES THEREFROM Filed Oct. 18, I924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 25, 1928.

J. B. OHLSON DISPENSING CONTAINER AND METHOD 0E DISPENSING ARTICLES THEREFROM Filed Oct. 18, '1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 V5 [:1' john 25'; OZzZsozz p A a I I Sept. 25, 1928.

J. B. OHLSON DISPENSING CONTAINER AND METHOD OF DISPENSING ARTICLES THEREFROM 3 Sheet-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 18, 1924 jbh F; L I

Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

F I C E JOHN B. OHLSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE VORTEX mm. 00., or

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DISPENSING CONTAINER AND METHOD OF DISPENSING ARTICLES THEEEFROM.

Application filed October 18, 1924. Serial No. 744,341.

This invention relates to a dispensing container and method of dispensing articles therefrom and particularly to a device which is adapted for containing a plurality of nested articles such as paper drinking cups which are tobe individually removed therefrom as needed for use.

The present application is a continuation in part of my application for patent for a dispensing container, Serial No. 735,227, filed September 2, 1924.

In devices of this kind it is desirable that the articles in the container be protected from contamination by dust and the like and it is also highly desirable that they be positioned at all times ready for convenient individual removal. Devices for this purpose as heretofore provided have not successfully met these requirements in that the articles were not properly protected or were not maintained in position for convenient individual removal.

It is an important object therefore of the present invention to provide a dispensing container which'is inexpensive, durable, attractive in appearance and which satisfactorily and effectively meets all the requirements of such devices in commercial use.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a dispensing container wherein the nested articles are at all times submitted to an applied positioning force for retaining the same in proper association with each other for facilitating the convenient individual removal of the articles therefrom.

It is another and important object of this invention to provide a dispensing container of the kind described wherein means automatically movable and not necessarily aided by gravity permit the exteriors of the contained articles to be successively exposed for individual removal. It is also an important object of this invention to provide a dispensing container which operates effectively with flangeless articles to dispense the same individually.

It is another object of this invention to provide a dispenser of the class described wherein resiliently impelled means are pro vided for engaging and positioning the articles as the same are withdrawn.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a dispenser for a stack of nested articles and a method of dispensing articles therefrom wherein the stack of articles is maintained stationary and over the influence of compressing forces in directions parallel to and normal to the axis of the stack.

It is finally an important object of this invention to provide an apparatus of. the kind described wherein the stack of articles is stationary, wherein the exposure of successive articles is entirely automatic and wherein there is no objectionable disfigurement of the articles occasioned by such removal. Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a dispensing container embodying the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line IIII of Figure 1 with parts shown in elevation.

Figure 3 is a section on the line IIIIII of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line IV-IV of Figure 2 with parts omitted.

Figure 5 is a section on the line VV of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the containing dispenser of this invention showing a stack of conical paper drinking cups being inserted therein; the dotted lines showing the form assumed by said cups after such insertion.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing a stack of conical paper drinking cups in the container.

Figure 8 is an elevational view of a stack of conical cups, the dotted lines showing the form assumed thereby due to the compressing forces normal to the axis of the stack exerted by the container.

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the stack shown in Figure 8.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 indicates the body of the container proper which as will be noted, comprises a tubular member of rectangular section built up of suitable pieces of sheet metal, open at its lower end and having a longitudinal opening in its front wall communicating with said lower open end. The

upper end of the container is closed with a suitable hinged cover 2 to prevent dust and dirt and other foreign matter from contaminating the articles therein. Secured to the inside of the upper end of the container is a fixed flange'or retaining means 3 having an oval-shaped or elliptical opening 4 therein through which the articles to be dispensed by the container may be inserted.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive this opening is adapted to have inserted therethrough a stack of nested interfitted flat paper drinkin cups which are indicated in Figures 1 and 5 by the reference numeral 5.

The edges of the flange at the opening 4 are turned downwardly as shown to facilitate the insertion of the stack of articles therethrough.

Secured to the inside of the side walls of the container 1 and extending longitudinally thereof are trough-shaped guide members 6 which are adapted to frictionally engage the edges of the cups 5. The rear sides of said trough-shaped members are provided with transverse indentations 7 (Fig. 2) of approximate saw tooth form which aid in the frictional engagement between the edges of the cups in the stack and guide members 6. As will be noted from an examination of Figures 2'and 3, the ends of said guide members arefiared outwardly as indicated by the reference numeral 8 in order to facilitate the insertion and removal of the cups and also to strengthen the construction. I

The back wall of the container 1 is also provided with transverse saw-tooth like corrugations 7 which aid in preventing relative upward movement of the stack of articles.

The inner longitudinal edges of the front wall of the container along the sides of the openin therein are bent back upon the inner Y face of the front wall as indicated at 9 to reinforce said edges and secured to the inside of the container adjacentsaid reinforced edges are channel members 10 which aflord guideways for telescopically arranged plates 11 and 12 which are adapted to be moved downwardly in said guideways to close said longitudinal opening in the front of the container and to protect the nest of articles inside the container. Secured to the inside of the plate 12 at the lower end thereof is a plate 13 having a flange member 14 extending angularly and downwardly from the lower edge thereof, said flange memberbemgcut out as indicated at 15 to conform to the contour of the outer surface of the nest of cups which it frictiorially engages. Extending inward ly from each side of the plate 13 is a member 16 which terminates in an integral troughshaped portion 17 which slidably engages in the trough-shaped guide member 6. Connected between one edge of the member 14 and a suitable bracket 18 secured to the side wall of the container directly beneath the flange 3 is a helical spring 19 which acts to normally urge the plate 13 and the member attached thereto toward the top of the container and the flange 3.

Extending toward the rear of the container from the trough-shaped portions 17 are vertical guide members 17 (Fig. 2} which slidably engage longitudinal guide plates l7 mounted inside the side walls of the container at the back portion thereof, and hinged between said members 17' adjacent said connect ing member is a cut out member 17 similar in shape to the flange member 14 and extending inwardly towards said flange member.

Bent down guide ears 20 are formed at the upper ends of the members 17 and connected between said guide ears and the members 17 are helical springs 20 preferably of less capacity than the springs 19 which tend to pull said members upward into resilient engagement with the lowermost article in the stack 5 whereby said article is positioned by said member as it is withdrawn from the container. Said member 17 at its extreme upper position abuts cushioning blocks 17 in the members 16.

the cut out 15 in the member 14, the edges thereof engaging in the trough-shaped member 17 and the insertion of the stack of cups into such engagement is facilitated by bent down guide ears 20. As the nest of cups is pushed into the container through the opening 4, the plate 13 and the plate 12 move downwardly elongating the springs 19 until the bottom edge of the plate 11 is reached, at which time ears 21 on the upper edge of said plate 12 engage flange ears 22 on the plate 11 and said plate 11 is then forced downwardly until stopped by the engagement of said ears with notches 23 in the channel members 10. (Figures 2 and 4).

When the container has thus been filled with articles to be dispensed it will be noted that said articles are held stationary in the container and are also held in association with each other by the tension of thehelicalsprings 19 which, of course, tends to draw the plate 13 and the members attached thereto which frictionally engage the lowermost article of the stack toward the flange 3. It is to be noted that the articles when inserted in position in the container, due to the inherent resiliency thereof, spring outwardly to the lower edge of the flange 3 and consequently can only be removed by pulling them individually from the lower end of the container past the cut out portion 15 of the member 14 apd past the cut out portion of the member 1 d.

The dispensing container of this invention is adapted to be used in connection with a indicates the relative stack of flat nested articles such as shown at 5 but it will also operate equally effectively to individually dispense articles from a stack of nested articles of a different shape such as for example, a stack of nested conical paper receptacles which I have designated by the reference numeral 24 in Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9. When such articles are forced into the container through the oval-shaped opening 4, the stack will, of course, be compressed in a direction normal to its axis and maintained so compressed, and also compressed in a direction parallel to its axis by the springs 19 as the articles are individually dispensed.

The dotted lines in Figures 6, 8 and 9 illustrate the form assumed by the stack of coneshaped receptacles 24 when so compressed and this compression serves to maintain the receptacles in proper position and assures that the removal thereof will be individual. Of course, the same compressive forces sometimes in a lesser degree are applied to the stack of nested articles 5 previously referred to herein.

It will be readily seen that as the articles are individually removed from the container the plates 12 and 11 will be successively moved upwardly by the action of the springs 19 to present or expose successive articles for removel in the manner described. This action is illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 5 which position of the cup during individual withdrawal. The relative position of the lowermost cup and the plates 12 and 11 is clearly shown in Fi re 1.

It will be apparent that this invention provides a dispensing container wherein the cups or other articles nested thereinare held stationary relative to the container and under the compressive forces hereinbefore referred to. The interior of said articles is protected at all times from contamination by dust or other foreign matter. At the same time the telescoping movement of the plates 12 and 11,

as the articles are removed from the container by being individually drawn past the members 13 and 17 provides for the successive exposure of the lowermost article of the stack for removal until all of the articlesare in fact removed from the container.

The device provided is inexpensive, attractive in appearance and durable and the articles as removed therefrom are not damaged and as will be apparent are conveniently Opened in position for immediate use when withdrawn.

am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a container adapted to have a stack of nested articles contained therein, stationary relative to said container, a hinged member engaging the endmost article of the stack, and'means supporting said hinge member and forming a part of said container and automatically movable relative thereto 'as individual articles are successively removed therefrom.

2. The combination with a container adapted to have a stack of nested articles contained therein and stationary relative to said container, pivoted means in engagement with the endmost article of the stack, and means carrying the pivoted means and automatically movable relative to the container as individual articles are successively removed from the container.

3. Thecombination with a container ada ted to have a stack of nested articles therein, stationary relative to the container, spring actuated means automatically movable into engagement with the lowermost article of the stack as articles are individually removed from the container and article positioning and guiding plate pivotally mounted on said means.

4. The combination with a container adapted to have a stack of nested articles therein, stationary relative to the container, means automatically movable into engagement with the lowermost article of the stack as thearticles are successively individually removed from the container, a cut out number pivotally mounted on said last mentioned means, and springs for resiliently holding said out out menliiber against the lowermost article in said stac 5. The combination with a container adapt- 7 ed to have a stack of nested articles therein, stationary relative to the container, means automatically movable upwardly into engagement with the endmost article of the stack as the articles are successively individually removed from the bottom of the container, article positioning and guiding means movably mounted on said last mentioned means, and springs connected to said first mentioned means and to said article positioning and guiding means.

6. The combination with a container adapted to have a stack of nested articles therein, a spring actuated follower slidable in the container and automatically maintained in engagement with the lower end of said stack of articles, and article retaining means movably mounted on said follower.

7. The combination with a container adapted to have a stack of articles therein, telescoping follower members in the container, springs connected thereto for automatically maintaining the follower members in engagement with said articles, and spring actuated movable means on said follower also maintained in engagement with said articles.

8. The combination with a container adapted to have a stack of articles therein, an article enga ing follower in the container, spring means or automatically maintaining said follower in engagement with the articles, movable article positioning and guiding means on the follower, and spring means for maintaining said positioning means in engagement with the articles, said last mentioned spring means being of less capacity than the first mentioned spring means.

9. The combination with a container adapted to have a stack of articles held stationary therein, slidable means automatically movable in the container for successively exposing articles of the stack for individual removal, and spring controlled retaining means pivoted on said slidable means for engaging the side of the lowermost article in said stack.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN B. OHLSON. 

